Ailes' Whopper: Fox News Employs 1 Conservative, 24 Liberals

by Eric Boehlert/Media Matters

Didn't see that one coming did you?

According to the Fox News chairman, that's how the payroll math adds up inside Fox News: The channel has just "one" conservative opinion host on the air, but employs 24 liberal contributors.

Ailes made the head-scratching pronouncement during two recent campus lectures. The first came at the University of North Carolina [emphasis added]:

Well, first, I separate out news from programming. If you're talking about programming, we noticed that all the talk shows on the other networks basically had progressive or liberal talk show hosts. We have one conservative on FOX News, Sean Hannity. Quite open about it, that's what he is, that's what he does, that's his framework, that's where he comes from. Others tend to be libertarians or populists or you can't really tell.

Last week, according to reports from Ailes' lecture at Ohio University, the Fox chairman boasted about the array of progressives he employs:  

Ailes defended his network, saying he was not politically biased compared with competitors MSNBC and CNN. Ailes said he employs 24 "liberals," which distinguishes him from those networks who feature fewer dissenting opinions.

You see the point Ailes is pushing? It's that contrary to Fox's carping critics, the cable channel actually is a bastion of liberal opinion makers and viewers have to look hard to find the one conservative host. 

For the record then, according to Ailes none of these Fox News opinioin hosts are "conservative":

Eric Bolling (compares Obama to drug dealer)

Steve Doocy  (calls Rick Santorum "Mr. Spectacular")

Brian Kilmeade (asks why Obama is "so determined to bring us down")

Gretchen Carlson (announces voters "love love love" Herman Cain's tax plan)

Andrea Tantaros (former Republican aide; says "thank God" Tea Party members in Congress are "driving a lot of the policy in Washington")

Neil Cavuto (says Robert Reich is a "sanctimonious twit" for suggesting the rich should pay more in taxes)

Dana Perino (former Bush White House press secretary; claims Obama administration doesn't "really want any success" on the economy)

Bill O'Reilly (calls Senator Al Franken "a despicable gutter snipe")

Memo To Politifact: Conservatives Lie About The Stimulus All The Time

by Marcus Feldman/Media Matters

Politifact, the St.Petersburg Times fact-checking organization, has unveiled its annual "lie of the year" for 2011: the statement that "Republicans voted to end Medicare." This designation is deeply flawed, given that the assertion that "Republicans voted to end Medicare" is arguably a true statement.

But that isn't all that was wrong with Politifact's decision. Politifact's Editor Bill Adair wrote an editor's note trying to explain why Politifact's editors did not choose something else as their "lie of the year." And the explanation rings hollow.

Regarding the false claim that the stimulus created "zero jobs" (the winner in Politifact's reader poll), Politifact stated that "it was more a falsehood from last year." Similarly, regarding the false claim that Obama has traveled the world and "apologized for America," Adair noted that Romney says this repeatedly but claimed that "it wasn't picked up much by other candidates and didn't reach critical mass."

When asked about his explanation about the "zero jobs" lie by Media Matters' Joe Strupp, Adair said that the Lie of the Year "is a subjective decision of Politifact editors. ... [I]t's not based on data points."

Given how often the lies about the stimulus and the Obama apology tour were repeated by conservatives, it may have been helpful for Politifact to look at "data points" rather than just their editors' "subjective" sense of how widespread the lie was.

Conservatives Lie About The Stimulus' Effect On Job Creation All The Time

Adair acknowledges that the claim that the stimulus created zero jobs "had been a popular Republican talking point that was uttered by everyone from Rick Perry to the National Republican Senatorial Committee." Adair is right. Here are examples Politifact itself cited as examples of politicians lying about the stimulus not creating jobs:

• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): The Stimulus "Failed To Get People Back To Work." [Politifact Virginia, 5/26/11],
• Texas Governor Rick Perry: The Stimulus "Created Zero Jobs." [Politifact 9/12/11]
• National Republican Senatorial Committee: The Stimulus Created "Zero Jobs." [Politifact Virginia10/13/11]

But the lie wasn't limited to politicians. The claim that the stimulus failed to get people back to work was also repeated ad nauseum by the right-wing media. The enduring popularity of these attacks on the stimulus is a testament to the stubborn perniciousness of the falsehood:

Here is a small sample of conservative attacks on the stimulus for supposedly failing to create jobs:

• Washington Times: Obama Sold The Stimulus As A Way To "Jump Start Job Creation," But It "Didn't Work."

As with Mr. Obama's $825 billion spending spree in 2009, the ostensible goal of the latest giveaway is to jump-start job creation. At least he has the priority straight. The economy failed to create any jobs at all last month, the unemployment rate has been stuck above 9 percent for most of this year, and the rate of long-term joblessness has been growing steadily while labor-force participation has declined. It's his "solution" that will make the situation worse. Temporary tax cuts and permanent spending on "shovel-ready" infrastructure didn't work in 2009, and they won't work now. [The Washington Times, 9/7/11]

• Fox Business Reporter Sandra Smith: "We know That The First Stimulus Failed." [Fox News, Hannity, 9/7/11]
• Stuart Varney: Unemployment Data Shows That "The First Stimulus Program Did Not Work."

VARNEY: Look, there's a lot of pressure on the president to come up with something big, bold and new come next Thursday evening. And there's a lot of skepticism that he can do it. Is he going to propose a brand new trillion dollar stimulus program? I mean, this forecast of nine percent unemployment is an admission that the first stimulus program did not work. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 9/2/11]

• Gretchen Carlson: "The Democrats Believe That Spending And Putting More Stimulus Money Into The Economy Is What Will Create Jobs ... So Far, Nothing Is Working For The Economy." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 8/4/11]
• The Washington Examiner: "Obama's Economic Stimulus Follies In 2009 Failed Miserably To Get The Economy Growing." [The Washington Examiner, 8/22/11]
• Charles Krauthammer: The $1 Trillion Stimulus "Won't Leave A Trace." [Fox News, Special Report, 5/31/11 via Media Matters]
• Sean Hannity: The "Failed Stimulus" Made The Recession "Worse." [Fox News, Hannity,7/13/11 via Media Matters]
• Discussing Unemployment Data, Eric Bolling Claimed: "All These Economics, These Stimulus Programs, Obamanomics, Epic Fail." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/30/11]
• Laura Ingraham: "The President's Economic Plan, The Stimulus, The Bailouts, More Big Government Stuff, Failed." [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 2/4/11]

Conservatives Also Always Repeat The False Claim That Obama Apologizes For America

Adair also wrote off the false conservative talking point repeated ad nauseam by Mitt Romney that Obama engaged in an "apology tour":

Another finalist was Mitt Romney's claim that President Obama traveled the world and "apologized for America." Romney said this many times (he even titled his book No Apology), but it wasn't picked up much by other candidates and didn't reach critical mass.

However, Romney was hardly the only GOP candidate to make this claim in 2011. Here are a few examples:

• Tim Pawlenty. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty delivered a speech in February in which he demanded that Obama "stop apologizing for our country." (Pawlenty dropped out of the race in August.) [The Washington Post, 2/11/11]
• Rick Perry. In October, Rick Perry claimed that "this President has traveled around the country making excuses for America. Apologizing for America." [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 11/18/11]
• Rick Santorum. Just two days before Politifact announced its lie of the year, Rick Santorum responded to the question "is President Obama undermining American statute in the world" by saying, in part: "We shouldn't be going around apologizing for America." [The Daily Caller, 12/18/11]

And other prominent conservative voices, including media figures and even former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have also repeated the falsehood in 2011. A Nexis search of Fox News primetime transcripts shows that people have accused Obama of going on an "apology tour" at least 16 times in 2011. And people have accused Obama of "apologizing for America" at least 11 times.

Some examples of these false attacks include:

• Liz Cheney: One Of The "Three Pillars" Of Obama's Foreign Policy Is "Apologizing For America." [Fox News, Hannity, 12/13/11, via Nexis]
• Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton: Recent Obama Actions Fit In "With The American Apology Tour. He Thinks America Shouldn't Be Documenting Its Victory. [Washington Times, 11/9/11]
• Investor's Business Daily: "The Obsessive Need Of This President To Apologize For American Exceptionalism And Our Defense Of Freedom Continued Recently."[Investors.com, 10/11/11]
• Michelle Malkin: Obama's "Apology Tour Has Been Around The World And Back."[MichelleMalkin.com, 8/31/11]
• Charles Krauthammer: "It's A Line Of Attack That Republicans Can Easily Use On The President And Ought To Use On The President." [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier,8/30/11]
• Sean Hannity: "[Obama] Went On An Apology Tour." [Fox News, Hannity, 6/21/11]
• Rush Limbaugh: "Of Course Obama Has Apologized" For America. [Premiere Radio Networks'The Rush Limbaugh Show, 6/3/11]
• Heritage: "Though The President Has Embarked On A Worldwide "Apology Tour" For What He Believes Are America's Transgressions, He Now Truly Has Something To Apologize For." [The Heritage Foundation, 5/24/11]
• Fox's Steve Doocy: Will Obama's Speech To The Arab World "Turn Into Another Apology Tour?" [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 5/19/11]
• Donald Rumsfeld: "I Think He Had Made A Practice Of Trying To Apologize For America. I Personally Am Proud Of America." [CNN, 2/20/11]
• Glenn Beck on Obama: "I'm Not Really Feeling Confident That At The Dinner, Mr. Apology Tour Is Going To Stand Up And Give One For America." [Fox News, Glenn Beck, 1/18/11, via Nexis]
• Fox's Gretchen Carlson: "Some Would Say" That Obama Is "Apologizing To These Muslim Terrorists." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 1/7/11]

NPR Is "Fair": Conservatives And Media Critics Defend NPR's Reporting

From Media Matters

Media critics and conservative commentators are responding to the recent controversy over NPR by praising the network's reporting. In addition, some Tea Party activists say that NPR's coverage of their group has been "fair."

Conservative Commentators Praise NPR

Blankley: NPR is "fair." Media Matters interviewed Tony Blankley, a conservative syndicated columnist and former Newt Gingrich press secretary:

"I've been on NPR regularly for a very long time," [Blankley] said. "From a personal perspective they have always given me plenty of access, I am clearly a right-wing commentator so I cannot complain. There's a conservative on and there's a liberal on, so that's all fair."

He added, "It is what their view is on what constitutes news. They are much more concerned with what is going on in the third world. That is a news judgment. For every story they run on conditions in some third world country, it is space not used for some story that we conservatives think is relevant to a conservative audience."

Still, Blankley stressed the ability of conservatives to appear on NPR and speak their mind: "No editor or host has ever suggested, 'Could you not be quite so conservative on this show?' I have been open and free to express my opinion." [Media Matters, 3/11/11]

Medved: "NPR Tries Harder To Be Fair Than Just About Any Other Media Source." Media Matters interviewed conservative radio host Michael Medved:

"I think NPR tries harder to be fair than just about any other media source. It doesn't mean they succeed. They do give evidence of trying," said Michael Medved, a syndicated conservative talk radio host. "I listen almost every day to Morning Edition and All Things Considered. I think that they do as good a job as anybody in media in reporting the news."

Medved said he opposes federal funding for NPR and added that he might donate to the network if it gave up government funding.

He also told Media Matters: "NPR is not like ABC or CBS or NBC. I think they make a genuine, constant attempt to try to play it up the middle. They have gotten much better. There were very, very serious complaints from the Jewish community some years back about coverage of Israel and I think the coverage of Israel is much more fair ... They have improved." [Media Matters, 3/11/11]

Reynolds: "I Have Found Them To Be Fair ... I Think NPR Does A Good Job." Media Mattersinterviewed conservative blogger Glenn Reynolds:

In comments to Media Matters, Reynolds added:

"There is no question that NPR generally has a leftist slant and attitude, but I have certainly gone out of my way to praise them on a number of occasions. They have done some Tea Party coverage that has been good."

Reynolds said: "I have praised their coverage on the Nidal Hasan story, and they were ahead of the curve on that. They were on top of that. I think they do a good job, they are conscientious."

"My own interaction with them has been fine, " he added. "I have found them to be fair. I think their coverage is often quite good. I think NPR does a good job." [Media Matters,3/11/11]

Tea Party Activists Call NPR's Coverage Of Their Group "Fair"

Tea Party Activist Katrina Pierson: NPR's Coverage Of Our Group Was "Fair." Media Mattersinterviewed Dallas Tea Party official Katrina Pierson, who said that NPR was generally biased but that its 2009 profile on her particular group was "fair":

[Media Matters] How would you describe their interactions with DTP and what are your thoughts on the reporting they produced?

[Pierson] I think NPR was very cordial to our group. They actually came to TX and spent a few days with us visiting our homes, and our work places. They attended meetings and asked questions. I enjoyed having them here. I think the reporting that they ended up using for All Things Considered, it was fair. It could have been more inclusive of the actual diversity of our group. Our founder married to a Columbian that speaks very little English. They speak Spanish in their home. I'm an african-american woman that does the neighborhood training and media appearances. And with race having been an important issue with regards to Tea Parties, I was shocked that they didn't much reporting on that topic.

The story that they did, however, we believe was as fair as we would get from such a liberal organization. [Media Matters, 3/11/11]

Tea Party Activist Lisa Davis: "We Are All Very Pleased With" NPR's Story On Dallas Tea Party.In a December 11, 2009, post, conservative blogger Glenn Reynolds published a note from "Lisa Davis of the Dallas Tea Party":

Robert Siegel, host of NPR's "All Things Considered," was in the Dallas area last week and attended several DTP gatherings. He'd called and stated he'd like to do a story and asked if we would agree to let some of the "happenings" be recorded. "Of course" we said. "As long as you are fair." WELL...he was! The story was on Mr. Siegel's "All Things Considered" this past Wednesday (December 9). Here's the link.

He attended our neighborhood Tea Party, Sarah Palin's book signing, a Tea Party coordinator meeting, and interviewed the founders and steering personnel. It turns out he understood that we are not only protesting and rallying, we are also educating our community. Considering that NPR has a history of being liberal organization, word is that we are all very pleased with the representation! [Instapundit.com, 12/11/09]

Medved: NPR's Tea Party Coverage "Is More Fair Than What You Tended To Get On Network News." Asked about NPR's Tea Party coverage, conservative radio host Michael Medved told Media Matters: "It is more fair than what you tended to get on network news." [Media Matters, 3/11/11]

Media Critics Praise NPR: "The Best Radio News In America."

Auletta: NPR tries to "present the news with real fairness and balance." Media Mattersinterviewed New Yorker media writer Ken Auletta:

Ken Auletta, the top media writer for The New Yorker, said, "I think NPR has the best radio news in America."

"They do a very good news job. I don't believe they have a conscious political bias. My sense is that when I listen to NPR, I feel that they try to be fair," Auletta added. "They try to present the news with real fairness and balance. Fox News, too often, is not fair and balanced. Private radio rarely fills the void that NPR fills, which is serious news."

Asked about the undercover tapes, Auletta urged people to listen to NPR's actual coverage.

"If you ignore that idiot's comments and can listen to NPR, you would be much harder pressed to find a bias." [Media Matters, 3/11/11]

Rainey: "NPR generally represents both sides of an issue." Media Matters interviewed Los Angeles Time media writer James Rainey:

"NPR generally represents both sides of an issue and tends to high journalistic standards," said James Rainey, media writer for the Los Angeles Times. "When lawmakers on Capitol Hill, from both parties, are being candid they will tell you that they listen to NPR to get good, thorough coverage of the big issues facing the nation." [Media Matters, 3/11/11]